A Matching Set
by SineTimore
Summary: as requested, a follow up piece to Conso-lace-tion. Beckett had left something with Castle and now she's back for it...or not.


**Disclaimer:** Kelly, East Coast. Castle, West Coast.

**AN:** Thanks so all of the lovely readers of the previous story for your support and kind words. A few of you asked for a follow up so I thought I'd give it a whirl. If you haven't read Conso-lace-tion, you will want to do that before moving forward.

* * *

He's going stir crazy, or maybe _her_ crazy is more accurate. His meeting at Black Pawn is doing little to distract him and boredom has fervently set in. To make matters worse, a pad of company stationary sits on the conference table in front of him and though it clearly reflects the 'Black Pawn' name and logo, his mind insists, over and over again, that it says 'Black Lace'. To be honest, he's not so much worried about his mind right now as he is his body. He's grateful that he's seated, his lower half hidden from view under a six inch thick marble table. Never mind four days without her, he won't even make it four hours.

His publisher wants more Nikki Heat novels. At least, he thinks that's what they're saying. He isn't really paying much attention, which, he supposes, isn't the calling card of a great business man. He reaches into his pocket for his phone, looking every bit a man who's doing something he shouldn't but believing he's one notch below James Bond. Thankfully, he empties the correct pocket because had his hand touched what's in the other, this meeting might soon require medical staff. She's driving him crazy and she's not even here.

He scrolls through his emails between nods and grins, tossing in a "yes, absolutely" for good measure now and again. God only knows what he may have already agreed to. He'll charm his way out of those missteps later. There's no word yet from Beckett, to his chagrin, and while she'd assured him that she'd call when she'd arrived at the cabin, he's currently plagued with the restraint of a hurricane and thus makes a preemptive text message strike.

_Miss me yet?_

_Seriously, Castle? Aren't you in your meeting?_

_Aren't you driving? Texting & driving is illegal in NY, Detective._

_I stopped for coffee. Thx for the update on the law._

He hears Gina clear her throat and "Rick?" him so, apparently, he's missed something. He throws out an "I'll get back to you on that" and hopes that it makes some sort of sense to someone. It does. Robert from Online Marketing thanks him to do so. He turns his attention back to his priority, virtual Beckett.

_My meeting is boring. Tell me a story._

_Ironic given your current locale. Go be a good boy & listen to the grown-ups. I need to get back on the road._

_You need to get back on me. But, I see your point. Call me when you get there._

_I will. Oh & Castle, right now, I'm kind of in the mood for you to be on top._

_Tease. Drive on, good woman, drive on._

The meeting lasts thirty more minutes, which he needs every second of for recovery from their chat. Gina dismisses him for the day but not before letting him know that she'd send him an email with all of the details from the meeting. Obviously, his secret ninja phone skills need honing. He fooled no one.

Kate calls him from the cabin upon arrival while he's out to lunch with Alexis. It's not something that they had planned since he's already seeing her tonight at the event, but he really has nothing else to do with his partner away. No, Alexis can't meet him each day, though he did ask. He needs more hobbies. He heads home pouting.

His phone rings again several hours later. He's still too wired to sleep so he's at his desk working, well, playing if he's really honest. When research starts to involve reading reviews of the next Dead Space game, it can't really be called _research_ anymore. "Hey, world traveler," he answers.

"You do realize that I'm still in the same state as you, right?"

"Leave it to the writer to glamorize everything. What're you up to? Reading? Watching TV? Craving my naked body?"

"I am, yeah, at least one of those," she chuckles. "I might just take a hot shower and go to bed though. The repair guys are supposed to be here very early tomorrow morning so I'll have to be up. How was the Columbia thing?"

"Oh, it was fine. Any time I get with Alexis these days is good time. But, look, I won't keep you. I just, I wish that I was there with you and I'm thinking of you."

"Me too, Castle. Take the gift that I left there to bed with you," she pauses audibly, "and fall asleep knowing that because you have them, I'm not wearing any. Sweet dreams."

He hears the phone click and doesn't move, can't move. He really wants to punch Jim Beckett right now.

* * *

He wonders what he ever did before his days at the 12th. With no formal green light on the book front, it's been hell filling up time in the days that she's been gone. Today was his final wake up without her. That's how he's been keeping track, like a child in anticipation of Christmas, except that his gift won't be under a tree, it'll be under him. He waits until a respectable hour and sends her a text.

_Everything go ok this am? You on your way?_

_How long did you stare at your phone before you sent this, Castle?_

_Only since 7:30am. What's your point, Detective?_

_Just that I kinda know you. _

_Kinda? You've been places no one else has ever been. Lucky you, huh?_

_Looking forward to visiting many of those places later, Castle. Repeatedly. I'm not leaving here for a few mins so don't sit and watch the door anymore. I'll call you when I'm almost home._

_You don't know me. Whatever….watching the door. Puleez._

With that, he turns and heads to the office to try and kill some more time. Yeah, she does know him.

She calls shortly after 6:00pm to let him know that she's stuck in horrendous traffic and has no idea when she'll get in. He tries to convince her that it's not a big deal but she can clearly hear otherwise. He'll order dinner, he tells her, and they can reheat it when she arrives, _if_ she arrives.

With the food ordered, he jumps in the shower, opting afterwards to pull on his dark jeans and a white button down shirt. The latter is more than a bit calculated as he hopes that she'll be the one wearing it before the night is over. He has fond memories of that shirt. And of her. And of her in that shirt.

The doorbell rings and he grabs cash from his wallet for the delivery but when the door opens, it's her, bags of food in hand. His brain can't even begin to formulate the questions that he wants to ask.

"Save your money, Castle. We can work out my tip later…my _big_ tip."

"How did you…? You said…"

"It's called a surprise and it appears to have worked."

"Get in here," he insists, tugging on the loose cotton of her shirt. "Come here," he whispers as he relieves her of the bags and crushes her to his soap scented body. He never wants to let go.

The tip of her nose investigates the length of his cool neck. "God, you smell good. I missed your smell."

"I missed your everything," he replies with a sincerity that overwhelms her.

Their lips fit together like perfect puzzle pieces, tongues colliding in waves of frantic want and methodical exploration. He can feel it, how much she's missed this too. She climbs his lower half, her thighs coming to rest on his hips, his arms bracing her from underneath. They move as one, creating their own path of imbalance and stumbles until she's pressed against his bedroom door. Her mouth breaks from his, fighting every second of the separation. "Show me, Castle," she sighs, gripping his hair in a tight fist as his eyes scream for the return of her lips to his own. "Show me how much you missed this."

Without a second's hesitation, he directs her body to his bed with explicit intent. Though she falls to her back onto the billowy comforter, she fights to her knees to slide her slender fingers down the buttons of his crisp shirt. It falls to the floor behind him without either's attention, without break of the other's gaze. He pulls the cotton over her head in turn, revealing the same black lace bra that clung to her body on the morning she'd left days ago.

He grins and takes a step back before moving around to his side of the bed. She watches intently and with curiosity as he reaches underneath his pillow for something hidden and then steps back to her. "I believe these complete the set, Detective" he teases, her black panties dangling from his finger.

"Tell you what, Castle," she purrs, "why don't you go ahead and keep those. I don't think I'll be needing them tonight."


End file.
